18 Jun Natalie’s Australiana Vintage Room

We take a peek inside two-year-old Natalie’s Australiana vintage inspired room. Filled with family treasures and heirlooms.

This is my two-year-old daughter Natalie’s bedroom. We recently brought in a big girl bed, so now it’s her big girl room, which she is very proud of.

Living in Canberra, we have a lot of native birds in our garden. Natalie really loves birds and also fairies at the moment, so I have tried to incorporate this into her room. I am a bit nostalgic about my childhood so I’m attracted to Australiana themes and things that remind me of being a child in the ’80s. My mum kept a lot of my toys from those days and now my children can enjoy them too.

I styled Natalie’s room in an Australiana vintage theme, decorating the walls in floral wallpaper, which Natalie loves looking at. My favourite piece in her room would be the rug – I’m completely obsessed with it!

I played with the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie figures as a child and my dad’s first baby cup is a family heirloom that has been passed down to Natalie. There is also the sheepskin from when I was a baby and my Humphrey B. Bear toy from 30 years ago! I love the antique teddy bear that was my mum’s when she was a little girl. He sits up in the mini swan rocker I made as he is too fragile to play with, though the girls are allowed a cuddle once in a while.

I enjoy making things for my children’s rooms, which I feature on my blog, The Creative Muster. The gold bunting, pineapple mirror, wall shield and miniature swan rocker are all items I made.

The stars and moon mobile I made from old Laura Ashley blouses and the butterflies on the wall were made from leftover wallpaper that I cut into butterfly shapes.

Natalie’s room is really small so I could only decorate with soft colours and neutrals to avoid making the space feel smaller. It also helps that the shared toys are in her big sister Miranda’s room, so she plays in there during the day, too.

I found lots of the vintage furniture on eBay and Gumtree. You can get a unique look for much less. It is win-win! It is also nice to decorate with your child’s own things such as their artwork or special clothes – I hung a beautiful hand-knitted baby blanket on the wall that was a gift from my work colleagues.

My tips on creating a room in this style would be, try to let the room change as the child changes. Let them have the things that they love so that it can be their room and they can enjoy spending time in there. When buying big pieces I go for neutral colours, such as white. Embrace old and quirky things. Kids seem to find these fascinating and it means you won’t fall into the trap of creating a room the same as someone else’s. I think it is important for children to hear the stories of old items, to see them being re-used and given new meaning.

Bed eBay / Ottoman Sofa Bed Specialists / White Floating Wall Shelves Ikea / Storage Basket Equator Homewares / Wall Hooks Panel Bloomingville / Wallpaper Taffy & Twine Printed by Spoonflower / Star & Rock ‘n’ Roll Cushions The Creative Muster

Laura Varsanyi grew up in Canberra where there wasn’t much to do but make things. Since she was a child, anything Laura wanted, she tried to make herself. Laura started blogging when her first baby, Miranda, was born in 2010, as a way to encourage herself to finish making her handmade projects. Laura is now mum to two little girls Miranda, 4, and Natalie, 2, and regularly writes on her blog The Creative Muster that chronicles her creative pursuits. Her handmade wares can be purchased via her online shop that she runs from her home studio. You can find Laura via her blog, Instagram and Facebook.

Images by Laura Varsanyi